My goal with 4th ed was to start off with the premade stuff until I felt comfortable and then shift into one of my worlds. And we are now in a fully hybrid version of the game where the line between my world and the premade stuff has blurred. Honestly I don't get much of a feeling as though people are enjoying it and I feel like people may be a bit overwhelmed or dogged by the multiple loose ends I like to have.
The game for me is most fun when you guys are involved with how the world proceeds and I know that we have missed a couple of weeks here and there but I would like to make sure that everyone is on the same page and having a good time.
I think I have said it before but I will mention it again, I never liked the start of a game that you were in a tavern and someone came in and told you what to do. I always thought that my character may not want to do the task and felt alienated from the game, so I encourage people to find their own reasons to adventure. Somewhere in this game I feel that people have lost the motivation to connect their character to the game. Wendy has a lot of ties to the wilds and woods and I thought that there would be more excitement about the sheltered wooods, but it seems to be another drudgery added to the queue. Brian's character I find interested in some things and not in others in a fashion I cannot easily predict. I think his winning the soul of the demon could give a closer tie to the game but only time will tell. Darin's character I still have yet to figure out, I cannot find his original background, but his bardishness has seemed to become healerish without me getting an idea of what is of interest to him in the game. Chris ads a lot of flavor to the game, but motivation has always been a question. And Rodney I honestly feel is sometimes having more fun texting than playing, though that is a bit unfair as work has taken him away recently, and I certainly understand that; yet when he is playing I feel more calculation than real roleplaying from his character, though his decisiveness at least gives the party a focus and direction.
I do have some really interesting things (in my opinion of course) that I have been planing for some time, but I am starting to get the feel that just telling you that you need to go here and do that via the tavern keeper might be more to everyones liking. I don't want to sound like I am not having fun, but I do feel like I could be having more fun with a group that was interested more in "my" game, or if I just abandoned "my" game and rand a series of unrelated modules.
I am not asking for a break from running, which I enjoy, but rather some help in making the game more interesting for you (and by which I will be more interested). Please tell me what is working for you and what is not, have no worries that you will offend me or step on my toes I really would like to know what is and is not fun for you so I can make the game more enjoyable for everyone, as I currently don't feel that it is.
Lastly I don't know why you are adventuring but this outline might give you more incentive to find motivation, feel free to add to it as I don't think it is nearly complete, but it might enlighten you to your characters way of thinking.
1) find out why you are here,
A) brought here for a reason
B) brought here as an accident
C) brought here as a result of neither reson nor accident
2) Accept you are here and live on, pointless (no reason to roleplay)
A) find a quite place and live out your life
1) go read a book that tells about your adventure
2) live a mundane existance
b) bow down to the powers that be and live out your life
3) continue fighting
1) based on moral decisions
2) based on objectives you have always believed
3) based on other reason
3) Pass the time
A) make no decisions
1) go read a book that tells about your adventure
2) live a mundane existance
B) accept what may come
1) go read a book that tells about your adventure
2) live a mundane existance
4) Believe you are here as part of a larger order
A) you are here because of devine right
B) you are here because of your heroic record or heart
C) you are here as a pawn of fate
D) you are here to prove yourself
E) you are here because the DM wanted you here
F) you are here because of some other reason
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I enjoy playing regardless of what type of game...I do not seem to be very good at figuring out the direction/secrets of your games...this part of your mind is truly a mystery to me - I wish I could think like you.
ReplyDeleteI am always interested in the woods, and did query about them during play time - but we were spinning our wheels in the city, and did not want to bog down the process anymore. In addition, if I said I think we should go there, everyone would be expecting that, and therefore I don't think that it carries as much weight.
We created our list of options at the end of the game, and when Brian has a few moments, he is going to post - and we can go from there. If I were to choose, I would be heading towards the woods to figure out what happened with Argent - but not sure why, specifically, we want or need this information. As I said during the game, knowledge is important, but what are we trying to find?
What is our mission and vision?
In a way William, you are correct as it comes to my character. I did have a background, and story way back when and I was excited about it. Then when you started to question my motivations and hooks in the story it got messy, and I lost my way. Sometimes I have a tough time because Rodney and Brian can come up with good ideas and mine seems lame. I have always had a problem with roleplaying what is in my mind, which in turn never runs the way I want it too in the game. I try to write stories that have hooks or background to my character, but you always want more or a different take on things.
ReplyDeleteI do enjoy the game. It can be difficult seeing things the way you do. I guess I don't ask enough questions. I assume to much and most of the time my assumtions are wrong.
Things that I like in your games are:
1) The Realm, (Lord Rulers area)
It is so different from what we are used to that I found myself loving it.
2) The different magics.
I liked your different take on the metal magic.
I only wish I was better at experimenting with my own power to make more use of it but I seemed to hit a dead end with it.
3) I loved the being the rebels against the Lord Ruler. I like seeing my character as a hero and leading them to a better way. I wrote those songs to inspire them to fight on, but I never really got a chance to roleplay it.
4) I like see my character as a unique person in the universe.
Things I don't care too much for are:
Argent, and the Charmins (probably b/c I never had one lol) Maybe it will take me some time to get used to them but for now it is more confusing than anything.
That's my opinions on the game. Please don't get discouraged about the game. We all appreicate all the time and effort you put into it every week. Why else would I spend 2 hours driving to and from every week to play if I didn't enjoy it and seeing everyone. I look forward to playing the game, but it can be tough with all the interruptions. It seems as if the last couple of monthes we have missed a lot and I have forgotten a ton of info.
OK I am done with my rambling for tonight. I hope this helps some.
Laters
Darin
Here's my view and personal opinions and questions:
ReplyDeleteSomeone obliviously brought us all together for a reason.
I don't know the reason.
I don't know why they haven't contacted us to tell us the reason.
Are they not able to?
Is finding out who they are a test?
How do we contact them?
I currently wish to be a champion of Argent.
What is expected of me to do this?
What powers can I gain from this?
How can I rebuild Argent?
I think it is important to go get the people who used to live here and bring them back. I believe that they were led astray by someone. Maybe someone played this game with a demon and lost and the demon made them leave? Maybe the lord ruler is a demon and can do such things.
Getting Sky metal would also help in rebuilding argent.
Who are our enemies and allies.
The only ally I recognize is Kellser (and you guys). All others are currently enemies.
With that said, I think we should enlist his aid.
I thought we were moving along smoothly until we got caught up in finding Charims.
Lets give up n them for a while and do something else. (Like go to the Shattered woods).'
Just some quick thoughts. I'll post more in a few.
In response to Wendy, I cannot really tell you what your mission or vision is. It is for you as heros to work that out. Kind of the point of my post was to say "hey, if you are having trouble finding your vision or purpose talk to me (privately) and I can try and help you work it out".
ReplyDeleteAside from that I think I am trying to build a world like Darin describes as I think is the point of his concern. You all want to be seen as heros and as having some influence on things beyond yourselves. If I might be so bold as to point out that you are all in the position to potentially depose someone who as seen as a diety to his followers, at the same time you remove a tyrant and bring hope to people. Honestly I don't think I can come up with a much more epic goal ;) In trying to do this I have tried to address the problems that have always occured with my games by giving you some potential threat that will end the world while still giving you urgency. Yes the primordials are coming and they might remake the world, but not necessarily destroy it. Alter it drastically, yes, but end it probably not.
Anyone who runs a game for a long time (like anyone who runs a character for a long time) tends to have their favorites and like it or not, mass chaos and near world ending distruction seems to be mine :)... That being said I don't mind adapting to good ideas. If you decided to take the side of the lord ruler for instance I would not just say, well your characters have gone evil and make you roll up new ones (like I have experienced with other DM's in the past). Instead I would try to adapt the game to make it interesting.
My goal is that your characters first and for most have fun, second see the consequences of your actions, and lastly see the influence you might have one the your neibors or the population in general. being wishy washey is perhaps the worst thing from my point of view that your character can be (of course if that is how your roll play them that is another thing entirely)..... Anyway I think that everyone would have more fun if they stopped trying to figure out what I WANT them to do or EXPECT them to do, or even THINK they may do in the future... By playing your character consistantly and true to heart it lets me know what to expect and helps me integrate you into the group. And don't forget to give yourself an intersting motive for adventure it can go a LONG way in helping me interact with and make more interesting you and the plot around you.